12. Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 18)
It is certainly plausible that Cincinnati’s Week 11 victory in New Orleans was more of an indictment about the struggling Saints than anything else, but the Bengals slid back into the division lead on the heels of three Andy Dalton touchdown passes and a stout defensive performance. The Bengals tend to go back-and-forth between ‘contender’ and ‘pretender’, even after three straight postseason appearances. Largely aided by the emergence of rookie running back Jeremy Hill and the health of wide receiver A.J. Green, the Bengals appear to be back on the inside track for the AFC North crown. It will just be a matter of whether or not they can sustain it.
